JUST DESERTS : AT JOSHUA TREE, HIKERS FIND A UNIQUE SETTING.

In a parched land that time has forgotten, where the Mojave and Colorado deserts collide, Joshua Tree National Park rises like a seductive oasis, beckoning backpackers, rock climbers and day hikers to its arid confines.

The nearly million-acre playground 140 miles east of Los Angeles is resplendent with backcountry trails, unusual geology and floral delights, from cactus to palms to the signature Joshua tree, named by Mormon pioneers after a reference in the Book of Joshua: ``Thou shalt follow the way pointed for thee by the trees.''

And though spring is normally an active time for wildflowers here, lack of precipitation has quashed the bloom.

``There is no money-back guarantee. You won't find the carpets of wildflowers like there were last year,'' said park ranger Deanne Chatterton, who noted the park has received less than a third of its normal rainfall this year.

``But to take a hike out here is to experience the peace and serenity you don't find in the city. You get to listen to the blood pulsing through your veins, rather than the cars racing on the freeway.''

Indeed, the metropolis is a sensory overload. Out in the desert, motion and change is subtle. At best you may sense a refreshing ridgetop breeze or the skitter of a side-blotched lizard or the trickle of a subterranean stream breaking the surface. But it's what you don't notice that is the blessing.

More people are discovering the treasure. Despite the lack of desert blossoms, 38,000 travelers visited the park's headquarters in March, up from 15,000 the March before.

Chatterton credits the area's status change from national monument to national park in October 1994 for the increase in popularity. Monument, park, whatever, get there quick. The daytime temperatures will be out of sight by mid-June. (See accompanying chart).

For a day's stay, I recommend taking a few nature trails of about a mile apiece and one more strenuous, 3- to 5-mile trek. The heat can be surprising, and it would be tough to discover midway through a 10-miler that you can't handle it or have exhausted your water supply.

Following are the routes I chose, in order hiked, on a recent outing:

Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail Overview: 3 miles, out and back; allow 2 to 2-1/2 hours; moderately difficult; starting elevation 2,720 feet; found on the Queen Mountain topographic map.

Getting there: Take the San Bernardino Highway (10) east to the Twentynine Palms Highway (62) north. Past the town of Joshua Tree, turn right on Canyon Road and proceed 1-3/4 miles to the trailhead parking lot.

On the trail: The track climbs to a high point of 3,080 feet a half-mile in, slowly leaving the view of Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Training Center behind. The footing is gravelly and loose.

At the crest you may catch cooling gusts and will spot the Bullion Mountains to the north, the Sheep Hole Mountains to the northeast, narrow canyons to the south and east and red-spined barrel cactus speckled all about. As the well-traversed path descends toward the 1-mile mark, you will see native fan palms rising from the oasis - one of five in the park where water pools near or on the surface and from which the rare desert bighorn sheep quench their thirst. It reminded me of a grand scene from some old silent movie.

As you reach the fertile refuge after some minor boulder hopping, shade from the towering palms (I took the park at its word there were 49) and a fetid smell from tiny, algae-tainted basins are apparent. Arson is largely to blame for the scorched trunks and vandals have further polluted the scenery by carving graffiti in the blackened bark, but the serene setting still dispels the archetypal notion that deserts are only sand and sage.

Barker Dam Nature Trail Overview: 1-1/4-mile loop; 45 to 90 minutes; moderately easy; 4,240 feet; Indian Cove topo.

Getting there: From Canyon Road, turn right on Highway 62 and right again at Utah Trail in Twentynine Palms. Pop into the Oasis Visitor Center and Park Headquarters, a must stop for anyone interested in desert ecology and natural and cultural history. Consider taking the half-mile, wheelchair-accessible Oasis of Mara Nature Trail and the 2-mile Oasis Trail Extension. Then drive south into the park proper (there's a $5 entrance fee) and onto Park Boulevard, veering right at its intersection with Pinto Basin Road. Pull into Hidden Valley Campground (20 miles from park headquarters) and follow signs along the washboard-rutted dirt road to the trailhead.

On the trail: Narrow passages in canopies of turbinella oak direct visitors toward a dam constructed by wranglers to collect water for their cattle at the southern tip of an area called Wonderland of Rocks. White arrows on brown posts point the way and remarkably well-done signboards outline the surroundings.

American coots and eared grebes have nested here. Below the dam, willows, cattails, saltbrush and red-spotted toads thrive in its seepage. If ever a dam could be described as beautiful, this is it.

The stone-topped route gives way to a dusty path in Piano Valley, home to pocket gophers, kangaroo rats, antelope ground squirrels, Mojave yucca, creosote bush, cat's claw acacia (named for its formidable thorns), cheesebush (yes, its odor is distinctive) and plenty of the park's namesake, Yucca brevifolia.

Petroglyphs left by early inhabitants can be found about three-quarters mile in. Movie crews in the 1950s - on location during the filming of ``Chico the Misunderstood Coyote'' or ``Wild Burro of the West,'' depending on who you talk to - touched up the drawings, much to the chagrin of park officials. The turtle is the toughest to spot. (Hint: Look high and to the right.)

From the petroglyphs, retrace your steps a short distance and veer 45 degrees to the right to return to the parking lot.

Starting the hike from Hidden Valley Campground makes for a 2-mile addition to the loop.

Hidden Valley Nature Trail Overview: 1-mile loop; 40 to 75 minutes; easy; 4,200 feet; Indian Cove topo.

Getting there: Drive back to the main road, turn right and take an immediate left into the Hidden Valley Picnic Area. A sign will flag the trailhead.

On the trail: The valley is encased by giant boulders that rock climbers love to scale, giving it a clandestine air - and its legendary reputation as a 19th century cattle rustler's hideout. The route bears to the left and is lined with beavertail cactus, but visitors are encouraged to blaze their own trails.

Again, excellent interpretive signs describe the environs and its history. One notes how the advent of the car forever altered the region. Vandals created furrowed roads to steal away with cactus and palms and were guided at night by the light of burning Joshua trees.

As you walk out of the valley, a tremendous blanket of Joshua trees spreads out before you. Drive back to the main road, turn left and follow it to Highway 62 in the town of Joshua Tree to complete your day's odyssey.

Trail notes: Get an early start, double your normal water intake and watch your step; there are six species of rattlesnakes, scorpions and innumerous barbed plants.

The hiking guidebooks ``On Foot in Joshua Tree National Park'' (M.I. Adventure Publications; $10.95) by Patty A. Furbush and ``Walking Southern California'' (HarperCollins West; $12) by John McKinney, as well as the Trails Illustrated map of the park, proved very helpful during my trip.

For additional information, call [phone] or write to: Joshua Tree National Park, 74485 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms, Calif. 92277. Camping is available year-round.

MEMO: Outdoors Editor Brett Pauly's column appears Thursdays in the Daily News.

CAPTION(S):

6 Photos, Map

Photo: (1--color) The 1-1/4-mile-long Barker Dam Na ture Trail leads to a dam constructed by wranglers to collect water for their cattle.

(2--color) Joshua trees, Mojave yucca and giant boulders dominate the landscape southwest of Barker Dam.

(3--color) Barrel cactus on Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail.

(4) Graffiti scars the blackened trunks of fan palms at Fortynine Palms Oasis.

(5) Petroglyphs left by early inhabitants can be found three-quarters mile up Barker Dam trail.

(6) The Hidden Valley Nature Trail covers a mile loop, runs past beavertail cactus and is surrounded by bouldres prime for climbing.

Brett Pauly / Daily News

Map: (color) Joshua Tree National Park